AU2008100523A4 - Security booklet and method of manufacture - Google Patents

Description

P01l Section 29 Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: Security booklet and method of manufacture The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 00 SECURITY BOOKLET AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE SField of the Invention This invention relates to booklets and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with Ssecurity booklets containing information pages, such as passports and other identification documents.

Back-round to the Invention (Ni Security booklets, such as passports, generally contain a plurality of pages folded about a spine area and bound within a cover. W094/29117 discloses a process for producing a bound, 0laser perforated paper-based construction, such as a booklet or signature, which includes the steps of: creating a plurality of perforations which extend entirely through the paper by exposure to a laser beam; collating a plurality of the laser perforated paper substrates into sets; folding said sets on their lines of perforations; and binding the resulting folded sets on their lines of perforation and folding into a signature.

Security booklets, such as passports, traditionally have pages formed of paper, but nowadays passports may include one or more pages formed from polymeric material, either a laminated sheet or a single polymeric sheet. Polymer sheets are particularly suitable for containing secure information, for example laser formed markings on or in the sheet, or text, photographs or integrated chips (ICs) securely located between layers of a laminated sheet.

One problem with incorporating polymeric sheets into security booklets is that they are generally stiffer than pages made from paper, and when inserted and bound into a booklet, this can lead to the problem of "springback' or "gape" in which the booklet gapes open, ie does not fully close.

It is therefore desirable to provide a booklet and a method of manufacturing a booklet incorporating at least one sheet of polymeric material, in which the problem of springback or gape is at least partly alleviated.

It is also desirable to provide a method of manufacturing a security booklet incorporating at least one sheet of polymeric material which is convenient and relatively inexpensive to perform.

Summary of the Invention According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a booklet which includes at least one page formed from a sheet of polymeric material, the sheet having a spine region where the sheet is bound within the booklet, the method including the step of exposing at least one area in the spine region to laser radiation to reduce the thickness of the polymeric sheet by laser ablation in said at least one area of the spine region.

O According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a booklet including at least None page formed, from a sheet of polymeric material, said sheet having a fold line in a spine region where the sheet is bound within the booklet, wherein the sheet has at least one area of reduced thickness formed by laser ablation in its spine region.

In the present invention the laser ablation process differs from prior methods of removing material from the spine area of a polymeric sheet by cutting the perimeter of the area to be Cremoved, eg by die-cutting, and then removing the material, such as disclosed in EP 1690 698 A2.

In laser ablation, the whole area of the polymeric sheet material to be removed is exposed to laser radiation which is absorbed by the polymeric sheet material, causing localized heating and vaporization of the material partially removing the material to the required depth.

NPreferably, the polymeric sheet is folded about a fold line in its spine region before it is bound in the booklet. The laser ablation in the spine region of the polymeric sheet preferably takes place before the sheet is folded. When the polymeric sheet is provided with laser markings for security, the laser ablation process in the spine region may take place at substantially the same time as the laser marking process. The same laser used for laser marking the polymeric sheet may be used for the laser ablation process, with the same or a different intensity. The laser ablation process that partially removes material from polymeric sheet in the spine area may be readily incorporated into the process for providing the polymeric sheet with security information in the form of laser markings. Alternatively, a different laser may be used to ablate the polymeric sheet, but this is less desirable as it may increase the cost of manufacture.

Preferably, the at least one area of reduced thickness does not extend for the full longitudinal extent of the information page. This helps to avoid potential failure due to weakening of the polymeric sheet. and. The polymeric sheet may be exposed to laser radiation to ablate a single line or channel in the spine region of the sheet. Preferably, however, a plurality of laser ablated lines or channels are formed in the spine region. The laser ablated lines or channels preferably do not extend for the full extent of the page in the direction of the fold line. Instead, the laser ablated lines or channels are separated by spaces or gaps which are unablated or ablated to a lesser extent than the ablated lines or channels. This helps reduce the likelihood of propagation of cracks along the direction of the laser ablated lines or channels.

The laser ablated lines or channels may be formed on either one or both sides of the fold line in the spine region. Further, the fold line itself may be exposed to laser radiation to form a plurality of laser ablated lines or channels on the fold line.

00 A plurality of sets of laser ablated lines or channels may be provided which extend along Cdifferent axes substantially parallel to the fold line. Preferably, the laser ablated lines or channels of ;one set are staggered relative to the lines or channels of an adjacent set. This also helps to reduce V the possibility of failure or cracking of the polymeric sheet.

In a preferred embodiment, the fold line in the polymeric sheet is provided near one edge of the sheet so that the sheet has a page portion on one side of the fold line and a tab portion on the Cother side of the fold line. The tab portion provides a portion which facilitates binding a single information page into the booklet, eg by stitching, stapling, or adhesive bonding. Preferably, the at Oleast one laser ablated line is provided on at least the page portion of the sheet. Alternatively, the fold line in the polymeric sheet may be provided at a substantially central location so that the sheet Nforms two pages of polymeric sheet material.

Brief Description of the Drawings Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a security booklet incorporating an information page in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the information page of the booklet of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic section through the information page of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a schematic section through a modified information page; Figure 5 is a plan view of another embodiment of an information page; and Figure 6 is a schematic sectional view through a modified information page similar to that of Figure Detailed Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a security booklet 1 in the form of a passport having a plurality of pages 4 bound within a cover 3. Most of the pages 4 may be conveniently formed from paper or like material.

The cover 3 is preferably formed from a material, such as card or plastics material which is stiffer than paper. The cover 3 and pages 4 are folded about a fold line 6 disposed on a central longitudinal axis A-B of the booklet.

The booklet has at least one information page 10 formed from a sheet of plastics material.

The information page 10 may comprise a laminated sheet formed from two of more layers of polymeric material. Such a laminate may include secure information 12, such as text, a photograph or an integrated chip laminated between layers of the substrate. Alternatively, the information 00 page may be formed from a single layer sheet of polymeric material, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). When the sheet is formed from a transparent plastics substrate, one or more opacifying layers 14 may be applied to one or both sides of the transparent substrate at least partially covering the substrate. At least part of the substrate may be left uncovered on one or both sides by the opacifying layers to form a 'window' or 'half-window' area 16 through which a security Sfeature, such as a photograph is visible. The information page may also include other security N elements, such as laser-formed markings 18, formed by exposing parts of the information page to a laser beam. The laser-formed markings may be laser blackened markings on a transparent or light oo coloured surface. They may also be laser ablated transparent markings in an opacifying layer.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the fold line 6 of the polymeric sheet forming the information page 10 is provided near to one edge of the sheet, dividing the sheet into a page portion 20 and a tab portion 22. The area of the sheet around the fold line 6 is called the spine region 24 and has a plurality of laser ablated lines or channels 26 on the page portion 20 extending parallel to the fold line 6. Each laser ablated line is formed by exposure of the polymeric sheet material to a laser beam so that localized heating of the exposed polymeric material takes place and the material is partially removed by vaporization. Thus the thickness of the polymeric sheet in the spine area is reduced helping to reduce the problem of the booklet gaping open at the polymeric information sheet.

Figure 3 is a schematic sectional view of the polymeric sheet of the information page of Figure 2 folded about its spine region. It will be seen that the thickness of the sheet where the page portion 20 meets the spine region 24 is significantly reduced by the laser ablated channel 26 to eliminate or reduce the problem of the page portion 20 gaping open. Typically, the amount of material removed in the laser ablated channels 26 falls substantially in the range from about 60% to about 80% of the thickness of the polymeric sheet.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, there are five laser ablated lines or channels 26 with unablated gaps 28 left between adjacent channels 26. For a passport, each channel is preferably about 23 mm long and approximately 8 mm wide. The spacing or unablated gap 28 between adjacent lines or channels 26 is preferably about 3-5 mm. The purpose of leaving unablated areas or gaps 28 between the ablated channels 26 is to limit potential failure of the information page due to weakening and to reduce the likelihood of cracks propagating along the laser ablated channels.

It will, however be appreciated that the number and dimensions of the laser ablated lines or channels and the size of the unablated gaps or spaces between adjacent channels may vary for different materials or applications.

00 In a preferred method of forming the laser ablated lines or channels, the information page is formed from a substrate of polyethylene terepthalate (PET) about 100 microns thick. A ;Watt CO 2 laser operating at a wavelength of 10.6 microns is used to form the laser ablated lines of channels. The spot size of the laser is about 100 microns, and the laser may be moved over the polymeric substrate at rates between about 2500-3000 mm/s. If required, a number of lasers may be used.

t'i It should, however, be appreciated that different types of lasers and different polymeric 0materials may be used in the present invention, provided the laser wavelength matches an 0o absorption band in the substrate. Alternatively, a laser absorptive material may be added or applied S 10 to the polymeric substrate to improve the absorbance for a particular type of laser.

Figure 4 is a schematic section through a modified embodiment of an information page similar to that of Figure 3, and corresponding reference numerals have been applied to corresponding parts. Thus the information page 40 has a page portion 20 and a tab portion 22 on either side of a fold line 6 with the area around the fold line 6 forming a spine region 24. The information page 40 differs from that of Figure 3 in that it has another series of laser ablated lines or channels 46 provided in the tab portion 22 on the opposite side of the fold line 6 from the laser ablated lines or channels 26 formed in the page portion 20 where it meets the spine region 24.

The laser ablated lines of channels 46 in tab portion 22 of the information page 40 of Figure 4 also assist in preventing any springback or gape which may be caused by the tab portion 22.

As in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the series of laser ablated lines or channels 46 in the tab portion 22 are separated by unablated spaces or gaps between adjacent channels 46 to limit potential failure in the tab portion 22 due to weakening caused by the removal of material in the laser ablated lines or channels 46.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a further embodiment of an information page 50 which is similar to that of Figure 2 and corresponding reference numerals have been applied to corresponding parts.

The information page 50 differs from that of Figure 2 in that a plurality of sets of laser ablated lines or channels 56, 57 and 58 are provided in the page portion 20 which extend along a plurality of axes parallel to the fold line 6, rather than along a single axis parallel to the fold line as in the embodiment of Figure 2. Also, the laser ablated lines or channels 56 of one set extending along one axis in Figure 5 are staggered with respect to the lines or channels 57 of an adjacent set extending along an adjacent axis with unablated spaces or gaps between. This further assists in 00 O preventing potential failure of the polymeric sheet owing to weakening by the laser ablated lines of Schannels.

Figure 6 is a schematic section through another modified information page 60 which is similar to the information page 40 of Figure 4 and corresponding reference numerals have been applied to corresponding parts. The information page 60 differs from information page 40 in that it has a plurality of laser ablated lines or channels 61, 62 provided in the spine region of the page t'i portion 20, and a plurality of laser ablated lines 63, 64 provided in the spine region of the tab portion 022. The laser ablated lines 61-64 extend substantially parallel to each other and to the fold line 6.

OAs in previous embodiments, the laser ablated lines or channels 61-64 preferably do not extend for the whole longitudinal extent of the information page and have unablated spaces or gaps between adjacent lines on the same axis. Laser ablated lines or channels 61, 63 on one axis may also be staggered relative to the lines or channels 62, 64 on an adjacent axis as in Figure The invention therefore provides a security booklet and a method of manufacturing an information page for a security booklet in which the problem of springback or gape is reduced, without significantly affecting the cost of manufacture since lasers are already used in the manufacture of security documents to form laser markings on information pages of polymeric material. Further, the invention addresses the problem without significantly increasing the risk of failure of the information sheet owing to reduced thickness in the spine area.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims (5)

1. A method of manufacturing a booklet which includes at least one page formed from a sheet of polymeric material, the sheet having a spine region where the sheet is bound within the booklet, the method including the step of exposing at least one area in the spine region to laser radiation to reduce the thickness of the polymeric sheet by laser ablation in said at least one area of the spine region. (Ni

2. A booklet including at least one page formed from a sheet of polymeric material, said sheet 0having a fold line in a spine region where the sheet is bound within the booklet, wherein the sheet (0 has at least one area of reduced thickness formed by laser ablation in its spine region.

3. A method or booklet according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the at least one area of reduced thickness formed by laser ablation does not extend for the full extent of the sheet of polymeric material in the direction of the fold line.

4. A method or a booklet according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one area of reduced thickness formed by laser ablation is a plurality of lines or channels extending substantially parallel to the fold line and/or coincident with the fold line.

5. A method or a booklet according to claim 4 wherein the laser ablated lines or channels are separated by spaces or gaps which are unablated, or which are ablated to a lesser extent than the laser ablated lines or channels. NOTE PRINTING AUSTRALIA LIMITED WATERMARK PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS UIP28703AU00